Sarah Butkovic
Staff Writer
January 9, 2019
Rain is pounding on your windshield as you cautiously maneuver yourself through the traffic jam ahead, desperately hoping the light will turn green by the time you reach the intersection. You catch a glimpse of the time in your car: it’s currently 8:20 and your class is starting in ten minutes.
School is only a few minutes away, you assure yourself. I can make it on time. As if on cue, the train lights begin to flash and the gates come down as soon as you approach the tracks. Aggravated, you crank up the music on your morning playlist and impatiently wait for the Metra to drop off its passengers. Now you’re definitely going to be late to class. Just like anything else, being a commuter student has its advantages and disadvantages. As someone who makes an approximate fifteen minute drive to Dominican every day, I can certainly attest to the frustrations and benefits that come along with it. I enjoy being able to come home every day and sleep in my own bed, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to make sacrifices in order to do so. Frequent trains, burning through gas quickly, and sometimes missing out on campus events, are some of the major downsides to making a daily commute.
Sophomore Jade Henderson has been both a commuter and a resident at Dominican, but claims the pros of staying home exponentially outweigh the cons. “I prefer commuting because it’s cheaper and I get to eat homemade food,” she says, “I also get to do my laundry for free and don’t have to share my space with another person. The only bad thing is that I don’t have as much freedom since I’m still living with my parents.”
Despite her preference of being a commuter, she touches on the positive aspects of living on campus.
“When I was a resident I felt like I was close to many of my friends. I was able to go out and do whatever I wanted. I also didn’t have to worry about rules like doing everyone’s dishes or having to clean certain things that I would do at home.”
Choosing to live at home or remain at school is something every college student has to think about when they first enroll and both options have their fair share of positives and negatives. All in all, it’s up to personal preference.
sbutkovic@my.dom.edu
